He Who Walks With The Slytherins
by Nate101
Summary: For Albus Severus Potter, the idea of joining his brother in Gryffindor is something that has been with him since birth. So what will happen when he's put in Slytherin, falls for the wrong girl & his life begins to mirror his father's. INCOMPLETE!
1. The Apple Yet To Fall Far From The Tree

CHAPTER 1

_The Apple yet to fall far from the tree_

The Curtains of Albus' four-poster bed bore ripples in the face of the harsh nighttime breeze. Albus shivered and listened silently to the steady breathing of the sleeping Slytherins around him. Oh yes, Slytherin, amongst a long and Brave line of Gryffindores came Albus, the first Potter ever to claim refuge in the likes of Slytherin. He had heard the talk of the Pure-Blood propaganda and the utter travesty of being Muggle-Born. But amongst an array of Slytherin Hatred rumors, was his father, who seemed to be the only one who seemed to see Gryffindor and Slytherin as equals. He felt strange sitting in the dark dungeon placed house, knowing that unlike his siblings he would never penetrate the confines of the Gryffindor common room. And with his siblings in mind, as he approached that battered singing hat and had it placed on his head- earlier this evening- he was incredibly surprised when it sang to the hall in a voice of pleasured, glee, "Slytherin!" The Slytherin table had exploded, whereas the other three tables seemed to have shuddered with surprised shock at these words. Instead of participating in the jubilance of the fellow Gryffindors, he sat alone with a boy by the name of Scorpius, who spoke deeply of his perfection and love for Hurling Hexes and a boy named Colin Creevy who claimed to be the nephew of a man also by the name of Colin Creevy who was a fallen crusader against Lord Voldermort in the battle of Hogwarts. But this was all in the past and as he felt himself fall slowly into the once peaceful chasms of sleep his thoughts were with his housing predicaments.

Albus froze, thrown back into consciousness by a blinding wave of cold and sadness. He found himself searching for air, desperate for any wisp of oxygen. His eyes flew open and almost gagged. Before him, cloaked in mould blackened robes, floated a blind hovering Dementor. He grabbed for his wand hidden behind his bed curtains and screamed at the same time. The room exploded, the lights blared, wands were retrieved and feet touched the cold stone floor. Albus shocked and shaking, raised his wand and recited the very spell his father had gotten him to practice wandlessly for years and flooded his thoughts of happiness, before screaming, "Expecto Patronum!" blue light burned like fire in the room and a glowing Phoenix flew at the Dementor. The Dementor evaporated into a puff of green smoke and wafted speedily out the dormitory door.

"What the bloody hell was that!" said Colin his covers pulled tight to his chest.

But that was not what was worrying Albus. What was, was where it went and how it got here. Vanishing into green mist was not normal Dementor behavior. Next minute Albus was on his feet and running out the dormitory door.

"Where are you going?" barked Scorpius hoarsely, hot on his heels.

"To see the Headmistress!" he replied halfway to the common room entrance.

"But it's late." He said, matter-of-factly.

"She'll be up."

"How do you know? We're not allowed out of our dorms after hours!"

"Yeah and Dementors aren't usually able to penetrate this castle, without anyone knowing."  
"Well how do you know, nobody knows, this could have be--"

"Are you saying it was planned to have a Dementor break into our dorm and attack me??" Albus cut across, "but it's important, I'm off to see the Headmistress. I'm eager to meet this Minerva McGonagall.


	2. From The Dying Embers

**2**

**FROM THE DYING EMBERS**

Albus took the stairs to the headmistress' office three at a time and had reached the top as he heard Malfoy just begin to take them. He knocked once then threw the door open breathless. Professor McGonagall looked up in alarm, "Potter what is the meaning of this?" she barked

"Professor There... there was a Dementor in the dormitory!" he yelled back

"WHAT!?" she demanded.

There seemed to be an unfilled, uncomfortable silence bet ween the two of them in the space of half a second- while Albus contemplated where to begin. Recovering a train of thought that lead somewhere; he opened his mouth to begin, but as he did, a loud bang issued through the office and shocked the sleeping headmasters –sleeping in their frames- into an awakened state. The bang had been caused by the violent and abrupt opening of the office door, where in a state of total shock was Scorpius fidgeting violently, with a large bony finger clasped around his, quickly reddening ear. "Argus, I suggest you let go of that boy at once." Said Professor McGonagall, so sharp and silently, Albus wasn't sure if anyone else-other then him- had heard her, but almost instantly, Argus let go. Argus looked to be in his eighties; his robes were brown and oversized, his face, unshaven and skeletal.

"But, Professor, Madam Imogene—" he said indicating a cat almost as ugly as him, lingering at his feet, "-- and I discovered this boy running up the steps to your office and considering the hou--"

"Enough, Mr Filch!" she said seeming quite annoyed at the sudden swarm of unwanted visitors, "I will deal with these boys myself, you may go." Her tone showed more demand rather then she was displaying his options.

"Of course, Headmistress," he said, patronisingly, "But if you need my chains..." he trailed off.

"That won't be necessary Argus!" She said, clearly annoyed by his lingering. Argus sensing this also, left immediately. "So tell me what happened, everything, I want nothing left out, understand." The two boys in front of Minerva McGonagall exploded, diving into the story, without break for breath. When they had finished, McGonagall seemed lost in thought and off in another world. "So by the sound of it, you are implying that someone set loose a Dementor on the young boys of Slytherin, tonight?" The two boys, blinked with confusion, as if it was on the tips of their eyelids and they were attempting to flick it away. McGonagall sensing their reactions immediately added, "Well the sounds of the dematerialization act this Dementor pulled, involving green smoke you said"-Albus nodded-"it seems someone has physically carried that Dementor into the castle," she said, walking around her desk to retrieve one of the many thousand books the shelf held. "When a person is attempting to smuggle objects of dark properties and/or qualities into a location, unseen, they may conceal it in an object. Potter I assume your father has divulged in you, the properties of a horcrux?"

"Of course. How to detect them, how to destroy them, how to stop them from opening the Chamber of Secrets..." he trailed off.

"Yes, well what I believe this thing is, is not a horcrux, but close to it," she said opening a honey coloured book and reading, "_There is no given name to this piece of magic, whether it is conceived as dark or light magic, it all depends greatly on what the spell caster uses it for. When encasing the creature, the user must state clearly what task they wish it to complete, from then on it cannot be fully unbound from the object. In the event that the object/creature will at the present time be unable to complete the task, the creature will vanish into green smoke and return to the object they are encased in_." She ended, without looking up at them, "Potter, Malfoy, I believe it is time to involve the head of the Auror department." At her words Albus' heart sank.

"Professor, please no." Scorpius looked around in surprise, "The head is probably not even awake, I doubt he is even in his office."

"Oh please Mr Potter," she laughed coolly, "we both know that not to be true." And with these words she moved to her desk, retrieved a roll of parchment, jotted a few lines on it, sealed it, picked it up threw it into the dying flames, said, "Head of the Auror department's office!" threw what was known as flooPowder and stepped back as emerald flames engulfed the fire place. There was a moment's silence where they all stood waiting as the flames reverted back to orange and to a dying state, then it all changed. The flames turned green and erupted to form into a tall skinny shape, which revolved slightly and then stopped. The figure stood quite still for a moment propped in the fireplace and the silence was only broken by the man saying happily,

"Good evening all." And Albus who was standing now uncomfortably in McGonagall's office replied- embarrassed-,

"Evening Dad." The man cackled for a moment then climbed laughing _from the dying embers._


	3. The Screaming Gargoyle

**3**

**THE SCREAMING GARGOYLE **

"**Your kidding, right, I mean, you're actually kidding?" said Harry Potter, after hearing the chain of events that had taken place prior to that evening. When no one replied to his question he went on, "I just can't believe it"—and then he said something that made Professor McGonagall's jaw drop—"You summoned a full- blooded Patronus?" Albus nodded, clearly pleased with himself, "Good on you Albus, I knew you could do it." Albus smiled wearily and gazed unconsciously out the window, towards the ray of sunlight illustrating the horizon.**

"**Albus, you said his name was? Jolly good, excellent name that is and did you say his Patronus is a Phoenix?" it took Albus awhile to ascertain who had spoken and realized with shock, that the disembodied voice had come from the painting of the late headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Harry, was laughing, quietly, Scorpius was shaking his head in confusion and Professor McGonagall was struggling to find words. Seemingly finding words she spoke out, thoroughly annoyed,**

"**Potter"—Harry and Albus' heads turned—"the older Potter," she said angrily, "We need to address the task at hand. This is incredibly serious, a Dementor in the dormitory..." her voice died away, as it seemed, she had just come to terms with that very fact.**

"**Oh... right... of course Minerva, so um... what happened after the Patronus, I kinda, phased out." He smiled shyly at his son who had a wide grin of his face, but cleared instantly as he noticed the look etched on Professor McGonagall's face.**

**In London, Ginny Potter sat playing with her hair in the sitting room of her house, immensely uncomfortable and borderline, a nervous wreck. **_**Where was her husband? He was known to stay late at the office, but morning was breaking and he still had not returned.**_** She twisted, pointlessly in the chair and placed her feet on the coffee table, worry, thwarting her every thought. Ginny remembered sitting in this house as a child- hating it. But now it did not resemble its old self in the slightest, for, Number 12 Grimmauld place, was home. They had removed the paintings of the black family by forcefully removing the wall and replacing it. The pictures now stood in Kreacher's room, which was the old room, in which the tapestry of the black family tree lined the walls. The room was packed with old Black family heirlooms and the properties of a normal room. Kreacher was a paid and free elf and stayed simply because he wished to, though Ginny feared –but aired these fears to no one- that Kreacher's life had ebbed and deteriorated immensely over the span of the past three years. The house was bright and colourful, whole stories were added and rooms and the house were, for the lack of a better word, happy. She began to stand and realized the presence of another person in the room- it was Kreacher. He was wearing a knitted woollen beanie and a dressing gown, made to exact elf proportions. She looked down at him disapprovingly, she hated him working himself so hard, "Kreacher, why aren't you asleep, it's so early?" He considered the question, as if trying to think of a way not to get his mistress to fuss, but seemed to find it impossible and dissolved into saying, shyly,**

"**Kreacher heard you get up, Mistress Potter and Kreacher was worried you were distressed, Kreacher is at your disposal, Mistress Potter." He bowed low and let a wide grin part his face.**

"**Kreacher, James and Albus are gone. Sleep in; I'll get Lily ready for school. You look so tired," she said thoughtfully.**

"**It is no problem, I live to serve any wizarding family and that is what I'll do, Mistress, 'til the day I die--"**

"**Kreacher we pay you for work, you are a free elf, please get some rest, you are one of the family. Oh and I put Master Regulus' locket in your room, I had it cleaned and engraved with his name." At her words the elf's ears shut up and he smiled even more broadly, beaming at her with endless respect.**

"**Thank you Mistress Potter, thank you. You and Master Potter are ever so kind." He then bowed low to the floor and vanished out the door and ran happily down the stairs to his room. She expected the next time she saw him, to see the locket hanging from his neck. "Oh and Mistress Potter"—he called up that stairs quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping Lily—"Mr and Mrs Weasley are arriving at eight-thirty, to dropped young Master Hugo off. That is all." And his voice faded away instantly. She sank back down into the puffy comforts of the couch, just as a letter soared over her head and came to rest on the coffee table. She turned around just in time to see the green flames of the fire die and return to yellow. She looked at the letter and then picked it up nervously, but it flew from her grasp and spoke in Harry Potter's calm voice, the words that made Ginny Potter's jaw drop.**

**Harry Potter was growing tired of standing in this room for bad news' sake. The last time he had breached its quarters had been the glorious day when Tom Riddle had fallen. And now Harry was here again, only half listening to the ramblings of Minerva McGonagall, as she delved deeper into a speech on school security. Harry, slightly tired from a sleepless night, took off his travelling coat for the first time and turned from the fire to face the room at large. "I have informed Ginny of our predicament," he said, feigning a smile.**

"**What exactly did you tell her, dad?" Albus asked, contemplating, nervously a spot on his wrist.**

"**Well I told her not to worry and what happened and that we were handling it and she should stay where she is. I told her that there would be no point in coming up here," he said, frowning, "So, if I know my wife, she should be here by breakfast." Scorpius laughed weakly –displaying for the first time, in what seemed like hours, that he was living and breathing- but Albus knew his father well enough to know when he was not kidding- now was one of those occasions.**

"**Maybe it would be prudent," Professor McGonagall began, "If these boys get some well needed sleep, there is still a few hours left before breakfast. And I think it best if you were ready for your first day of classes. Don't you agree, Harry," she finished turning from Scorpius and Albus to address Harry.**

"**Yes, of course, good idea, I will have the Auror department prepare some organized patrols," he said, making his way towards the now completely disintegrated fire.**

"**Actually Potter, I would like to speak to you for a moment, you boys may go," she demanded, shooing Scorpius and Albus. They left, exhausted from the goings on over the course of the previous hours.**

**They descended the stairs at a reasonably slow pace; attempting to listen in on the conversation; McGonagall and Harry were partaking in. But their attempts were fruitless; no noise was emanating from the room. Their feet touched the corridor and they heard the gargoyle leap into place behind them- concealing the stretch of wall, holding the spiral staircase and the headmistress' office.**

"**Well, I think it's safe to say, we are the first students to have this much drama on their fist night," said Scorpius, speaking for the first time in hours, his voice was raspy and underused.**

"**Yeah well the aurors are involved now, so there's nothing to worry abou—" Albus and Scorpius stopped dead, from behind them came a horrible, bloodthirsty scream. They both spun on the spot. At the end of the corridor stood the stone gargoyle, still stationary and on guard, but its mouth hung open, a scream issuing from its parted lips.**

"**GET IT OUT OF ME, GET IT OUT!" it screamed repeatedly, in utter anguish. McGonagall and Harry threw themselves down the stairs and past the screaming gargoyle. **

"**Oh my!" said McGonagall in alarm.**

"**Oh crap, it's inside it, the Dementor or maybe dementors." Harry yelled, wand aimed at the Screaming Gargoyle. **

**A jet of green light soared over his head and he ducked, searching for its originator, but found none. Then the battle began...**

**Jets of unexplained light shot out of a nearby curtain- concealing a compartment in the wall- and McGonagall and Harry flung themselves into action. Spells flew in all directions and exploded on impact. The battle got fiercer and fiercer until Harry, screamed the spell he never relished performing, "Crucio!" but a wide and powerful jet of green light hit it and time seemed to stand still. Then the hall exploded and the fighters were thrown back and out of sight.**

**A final spell flew into place and collided with the screaming gargoyle, and from its mouth it spewed what seemed like black curtains, but they revolved and formed in mid air. The now formed Dementors flew through the corridor and behind the notorious curtain.**

**There was silence in the hallway only broken as Harry and Albus together ran towards the still shimmering curtain. They flung it back in frustration; just in time to see the last of a door, sink promiscuously back into the wall.**

**Ginny and Lily sat quietly at the table after Ginny had explained to her youngest child of her youngest son's situation. Neither felt like talking much. An envelope soared high over her head and exploded into the anxious words of Harry potter, "Do not worry, but—" and the voice explained in minimal detail and when it had finished, yeah, Ginny got worried.**


	4. From The Room Itself

**NOTES: Sorry I know this chapter is rough, but it was hard to write this without revealing anything, I wanted nothing given away. **

**4**

**FROM THE ROOM ITSELF**

**The figure stood with its wand raised, preparing to cast the spell to release the trapped Dementors. The room of requirement was dark where he stood and he was aiming blindly from behind a curtain. But at that moment he heard a scream, a low scream of deep anguish and pain, and the figure realized suddenly that the screamer was in fact the gargoyle, itself. More loud noises were aroused at this point and the figure thought instinctively, firing a killing curse through the curtain. He heard the spell hit the wall and explode, heard the bang of more spells being fired and began to block them with expert speed. The battle seemed to go on for hours, but the figure did not waver in precision. It fired spell after spell through the curtain. More power seemed to fire through his fingers, with every spell. He laughed at this point, at the fighter's foolishness and feeble casting and then he heard it. A spell that would actually ensure some fun,**

"**CRUCIO!" Harry Potter screamed, invisibly.**

"**AVADA KADAVRA!" the figure yelled back, cackling.**

**Immediately it became known that the spells had done their job, all was silent, and then their world fell apart.**

_**There's, not mine,**_** thought the figure laughing. It raised its wand and pointed it blindly through the curtain. **

**The space seemed to come alive again; a wave of dread washing over the figure and it knew that the dementors were at large. The figure stepped back to allow the approaching dementors access. The darkness began to compress in on the figure and the dementors soared through the curtain. The figure lunged forward and shut the door, blocking out the corridor.**

"**Please I beg of you, don't. Don't take it away, PLEASE!" said the writhing figure on the floor.**

**The figure on the floor was sprawled uncomfortably and in pain. Their own wand laid metres away, after being disarmed. The figure had fought well, it had released the dementors as it had been instructed and battled the fighters. **

"**Oh don't beg, my child," said a standing hooded figure above, "It will only condemn you more." **

**The figure screamed with pain as the other figure continued its torture.**

"**But I will not kill you yet, I have one more job for you, my child." It waved its wand at the centre of the room and a door dropped to the ground and propped itself up, standing, motionless. The figure waved its wand again and it flew open, the dementors rushed towards it and disappeared through it, into a compelling darkness.**

"**Good bye, my baby, until we meet again," the hooded figure strutted towards the door and turn around for only a second and yelled, "Imperio! Just making sure you know our next mission" then vanished into the overwhelming darkness, leaving the other figure cowering on the floor. The room of requirement silent once more. **


End file.
